As 2021 comes to an end, it is time to reflect on the events that have transpired over the year.

Despite the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was unity, hope, and strength. 

Here is a recap of the rollercoaster of events that have taken place around the globe this year. 

January

• January 1, 2021: The streets of Times Square are empty because of the canceled celebrations due to the coronavirus pandemic.
• January 2, 2021: The US surpasses 20 million COVID-19 Cases.
• January 6, 2021: The United States Capitol was attacked by a large group of supporters of former President Donald J. Trump.
• January 9, 2021: Twitter bans former President Donald J. Trump permanently.
• January 14, 2021: The House of Representatives impeaches former President Donald J. Trump.

• 

  January 20, 2021: The Inauguration of Joseph R. Biden and the first female Vice President Kamala Harris.

February

• February 1, 2021: NASA astronauts completed a five-hour and 20-minute spacewalk, the second of the year.
• February 7, 2021: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers win the Super Bowl against the Kansas City Chiefs.
• February 13-17, 2021: A major snowstorm hits Texas, leaving millions without power.
• February 18, 2021: Photos of Senator Ted Cruz leaving the United States to go to Cancun are released.
• February 23, 2021: Authorities investigate the rollover crash of professional golf player Tiger Woods.

March  

• March 6, 2021: People gather in multiple cities around the country for mask-burning events.
• March 7, 2021: Prince Harry and Meghan’s interview with Oprah Winfrey airs, explaining their contentious exit from the royal family. 
• March 14, 2021: As a memorial service in New York, the faces of those who died of COVID-19 are projected on the Brooklyn Bridge.
• March 17, 2021: A shooting in Atlanta, Georgia, targeting mostly Asian women, sparks the Stop Asian American and Pacific Islander Hate protests across the country.
• March 28, 2021: A container ship named the Ever Given blocks the Suez Canal.

April

• April 12, 2021: Hideki Matsuyama becomes the first Japanese man to ever win the Masters.
• April 16, 2021: People 16 years of age and older become eligible to receive the vaccine.
• April 20, 2021: Derek Chauvin was found guilty of the death of George Floyd.
• April 28, 2021: For the first time in history, two women sat behind the President for the State of the Union.

May

• May 10, 2021: The US Food and Drug Administration authorizes the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for 12-15-year-olds.
• May 13, 2021: The CDC announces that fully vaccinated Americans can stop wearing face masks.
• May 25, 2021: The CDC announces that half of all American adults are fully vaccinated.
• May 26, 2021: A gunman kills nine people at the San Jose Rail Yard in California.
• May 27, 2021: The Friends reunion airs 17 years after the show ended.

June

• June 6, 2021: The US men’s soccer team wins the CONCACAF Nations League Final against Mexico.
• June 17, 2021: The US designates Juneteenth as a federal holiday.
• June 21, 2021: Carl Nassib comes out as the first active gay player in the NFL.
• June 24, 2021: The Champlain Towers South collapses in Surfside, Florida, killing 98 people. 
• June 25, 2021: Derek Chauvin is sentenced to 22 years and six months in prison for the death of George Floyd.

July

• July 1, 2021: Hurricane Elsa makes landfall in Florida.
• July 7, 2021: The Tampa Bay Lightning defeat the Montreal Canadiens in the Stanley Cup Final.
• July 8, 2021: Zalia Avant-garde becomes the first African American to win the Scripps National Spelling Bee.
• July 11, 2021: Virgin Galactic launches Unity 22 into space from Spaceport America Runway 34 in New Mexico.
• July 20, 2021: The Milwaukee Bucks defeat the Phoenix Suns in the NBA Finals.
• July 27, 2021: Simone Biles withdraws from the all-around competition at the Tokyo Olympics.

August

• August 1, 2021: The US passes the 35 million mark in COVID-19 cases.
• August 1, 2021: The US men’s soccer team wins the CONCACAF Gold Cup against Mexico.
• August 7, 2021: The US wins the Olympic men’s basketball gold medal in Tokyo.
• August 8, 2021: The US wins the Olympic women’s basketball gold medal in Tokyo.
• August 10, 2021: Governor of New York Andrew Cuomo resigns amid sexual harassment claims.
• August 12, 2021: Britney Spears’ father steps down as her conservator.
• August 16, 2021: El Paso City Council decides to sue Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to defy his ban on mask mandates.
• August 23, 2021: Over 650 Afghan refugees are housed at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas.
• August 29, 2021: Hurricane Ida makes landfall in Louisiana.
• August 30, 2021: America ends its 20-year war in Afghanistan as the last military evacuation plane leaves Kabul.

September

• September 1, 2021: The Afghan Placement and Assistance Program launches.
• September 9, 2021: The death toll from Hurricane Ida rises to 82.
• September 18, 2021: Over 14,000 Haitian migrants crowd the Del Rio International Bridge in Texas for processing into the United States.
• September 22, 2021: The FDA approves Pfizer’s COVID-19 booster shot for those at high risk of infection and citizens 65 or older.
• September 27, 2021: R. Kelly is found guilty of all counts of sex trafficking and racketeering.

October

• October 6, 2021: A Texas federal judge blocks abortion ban.
• October 11, 2021: Las Vegas Raiders coach, Jon Gruden, resigns over derogatory emails. 
• October 18, 2021: First Black US Secretary of State Colin Powell dies of COVID-19 at age 84.
• October 19, 2021: Biden makes first cuts to the infrastructure bill, cutting it down to $1.9 trillion.
• October 21, 2021: The FBI confirms the remains found in Florida’s Carlton Reserve belonged to Brian Laundrie. 
• October 28, 2021: Facebook rebrands its company name to Meta.

November

• November 1, 2021: World leaders meet in Glasgow for the COP26 summit.
• November 3, 2021: Glen Youngkin wins the Virginia seat for governor against Ted McAuliffe.
• November 6, 2021: 8 people die at Travis Scott’s Astroworld concert due to a crowd surge.
• November 9, 2021: Countries promise to limit global warming temperature to under 1.5 degrees.
• November 17, 2021: Over 100,000 people die of drug overdoses, the deadliest record yet.
• November 19, 2021: Kyle Rittenhouse was found not guilty on all charges.
• November 25, 2021: Three men accused of murder in the Armaud Arbery shooting were found guilty.
• November 28, 2021: Louis Vuitton’s first Black creative director, Virgil Abloh dies of cancer at 41.
• November 30, 2021: A shooting at Oxford High School in Oxford, Michigan, leaves 3 people dead, and more injured.

December

• December 1, 2021: The first case of the Omicron variant is detected in San Francisco, California.
• December 4, 2021: CNN’s Chris Cuomo is fired after involvement in Andrew Cuomo’s sexual harassment case.
• December 5, 2021: Former US Senator Bob Dole dies at 98 of lung cancer.

2021 was a unique year with many historic events. 

As we looked back we saw everything from a reunion of a beloved show, to major court cases that will set precedents in the future. 

Now, it is time to look forward with hope as to what 2022 has in store.

Here’s to a joyful New Year!